Dell to offer Intel-powered micro servers

[EMBEDDD]Dell this month plans to introduce a micro server that aims to provide nearly double the computing power over the prior generation, thanks to a new, higher-performing, more energy-efficient chip from Intel, The Wall Street Journal reports.

Micro servers are computer hardware systems designed to save space and energy, and are becoming an increasingly competitive market. While low power consumption is a key selling point, it often comes with a trade-off: lower performance.

According to PC Advisor, Dell's PowerEdge C5220 is one of the first servers with Xeon chips based on the Ivy Bridge microarchitecture. The server is targeted at Web 2.0, cloud and high-performance applications, Dell said in a statement.

The server runs on Intel's Xeon E3-1200 V2 series processors, which are faster and more power-efficient than previous E3 chips based on the Sandy Bridge microarchitecture.

An Intel spokesman said the new chips provide more performance per watt, and a server with E3-1200 V2 processors drawing 17 watts of power, TechEye writes.

This means that a 3U rack space can manage 53% more performance than a 20-watt Sandy Bridge Xeon.